What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more...

Christmas, like a large portion of the globe, is my most favorite holiday. I always approach each December with a hop in my step. Some Wiseman must haves for the month: Christmas music (this year we added Michael Buble and the Biebs to the mix), a tree scented candle (the four ft. fake just doesn't do it for us), and peanut butter blossoms (you know the cookies with the hershey kiss in the middle...I have about 2 dozen of them in my belly). I can say that I honestly enjoyed about 95% of the Christmas season this year (the other 5 % was when I ventured out to shop the week before Christmas-IKEA with a toddler in December is overwhelming). We got to do some fun family activities this year and for the first year in awhile, I felt like we were much more focused on the reason for this wonderful season. We had many wonderful experiences to contribute to that. Here are some of the highlights:

ZOOLIGHTS

This year I wanted to see what ZooLights was all about. I picked a horrible day to go! The wind was piercingly cold and it was ridiculously freezing, despite no snow. We invited our friends, The Glausers, out to join us. They were such troopers to come along! Ellie absolutely loves their son, Gavin. His name has now become part of her limited vocabulary and one of her favorite activities this month was pointing his face out to us amongst our collage of Christmas cards. We endured the chill and ended up having a great time!

Paul RARELY feels the need to give a normal smile in pictures. Hence, the surprised, shocked, confused, etc. looks that predominantly are featured by him throughout my posts. 

Eloise enjoyed seeing a few of Santa's reindeer. They decided to refrain from the picture. Ellie isn't waving at the camera, she just has too many layers on that she can't lower her arms:) 

Someone's not going to be visiting our house this year. Ellie hated Santa. He was such a nice guy, he even tried to have me sit next to him and hold Ellie to see if that would help. Despite our tactics, she wasn't feeling the jolly, big man. Over the next few weeks she grew to enjoy looking at Santa in books and on tv and will even tell you that Santa says, "HO HO HO". Maybe next years encounter will be a little more cheery.

FIRST PRESIDENCY DEVOTIONAL
Paul and I were able to sneak away from our little munchkin for awhile and head downtown for the Christmas Devotional. It was a great way to kick-off the month and get us in the right mindset. I am always speechless after hearing the Mormon Tabernacle Choir in that building. Incredible. Paul is very partial to President Erying and really loved his talk.

SECRET SANTA
Paul's family had the great idea to do a Secret Santa this year instead of giving sibling gifts. I hope this becomes a tradition. It was wonderful to hear the touching story of this family and think about them this year as we did our shopping. I know it had a great impact on me and I can't wait to be able to do this with my kids over the coming years to help them understand how much they have to be grateful for.

MORGAN

(Halloween costumes for a December post...I know:) I wish I would have thought to get another picture. But isn't she the cutest angry bird you've ever seen?)

I have had the opportunity to work with this beautiful girl each day for a few hours as her aide. I have absolutely loved getting back into the classroom. It was very informative, insightful, and interesting to get to view the school system from a different point of view. The Christmas break marked my last day of working with her and I approached the day with dread. Morgan challenged me everyday and I left each day a better teacher, person, and parent. I learned so much during this brief time and know I will walk back into the classroom one day a better teacher because of this experience. This December I was very grateful to have gotten to know Morgan and her wonderful family.

FAMILY PARTIES

Both sides of Paul's family do an annual Christmas party. It is fun to catch up with cousins, aunts & uncles, and the ever growing amount of kiddos. I love the traditions that we do each year.
 On one side we always play the left/right present game (remember that great story about Tommy Right) and do a coin grab (everyone gets the chance to grab as many coins as they can from a ginormous bucket; one hand only and NO SCOOPING!!). It is ridiculously fun to try to grab more than my husband.
On the other side we always decorate gingerbread houses. Paul was incredibly patient with Ellie as she knocked over the bowl of skittles about 5 times in a row.

CHRISTMAS DAY

Christmas day is always a marathon! Luckily this year it was on Sunday so with church we were able to enjoy some peace, serenity, and reflection. We started out the day at home. Ellie's Christmas present to her parents: sleeping in until 9:00! It was great! Despite her poor showing earlier in the month, Santa paid her a visit.  She loved ripping the paper and discovering there was something inside. She would squeal with delight when she unwrapped each gift. She didn't really want to play with anything-just wanted to move on to unwrapping another gift.

We then rushed over to Paul's grandparents to wish them a Merry Christmas and dapple at possibly the BEST eggs I have ever tasted. We booted up to church and made it just in time. Eloise also made it through all of the meeting without having to go to the hall. It was a Christmas miracle!
Next stop: my parent's house. We opened even more gifts with my family. Ellie again squealed and clapped at the unwrapping process. She also loved seeing what her cousins got. The extended family arrived soon after for more gifts, yummy food, and our annual bingo game.

(Ellie's cousin Max...he makes a dang cute Kristopher Kringle)

Ellie loves having her Aunt Kellie home from New Mexico for the college break. Her parents love it too-new babysitter:)

My sister and her cute family.

Jason, Rachel, & Max. And then there's Chad...:)

Last up: Paul's parents. Eloise again got spoiled and loved being around family. I was all pictured out and put the camera away for this event.
By the end of the day we were all pooped! We did manage to sneak in one family photo however:

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Oldie but Goodie

When I met Paul I was just a young 19 year old. I remember being flabbergasted when he told me he was 25! 25! That was ancient to me (was it even okay that I date someone that much older than me?) Gross. Nevertheless, his charming self won me over and now 6 years later I find myself that ancient old age of 25! Which means, yes, my husband is 31! This past week Paul celebrated his birthday. I'm not sure if celebrate is quite the word for what Paul did on his birthday this year. I've gotten boring. We managed a few enjoyable activities though:

One of the traditions we had for birthdays in my house growing up was my mom and dad always made signs for the birthday kid and hung them up around the house. I loved waking up on my birthday and searching the house for the clever sayings and poems that my parents had come up with. This was a tradition I was definitely going to carry on. I have indeed decorated the halls, doors, and cabinets of our home for Paul's birthday each year (and yeah, he does it for me too...what a keeper).

We also go to temple square as a family every December. This year we decided to go on Paul's birthday. We weren't a very jovial crew. It was COLD! And we weren't fans of the massive crowds we had to battle. We walked around enough for Eloise to enjoy the lights and snap a few photos but we were probably in the car looking for a parking spot longer than actually walking around. Scrooges...I know!

In honor of my oldie, but goodie birthday boy I have listed a few oldies, but goodies to best help you get to know Paul a little more:

*Birthday boy in his new Bronco Tee


1. The Entertainer by Billy Joel: Paul's mission in life is to make people laugh. He is very witty, sarcastic, and sharp on his feet. He can certainly liven up a dull or awkward situation.
2. He Works Hard For The Money by Donna Summer: Okay, I know this song is 'She works hard for the money' but it was fitting for Paul. Paul is a very hard worker. He is a very talented Real Estate Agent but also is an excellent cook, dishwasher, launderer, etc. He can fix about anything in the house or on a car and is always willing to lend a helping hand. When Paul does something, he always does a top notch job.
3. We Are The Champions by Queen: Although this definitely wasn't the year this song could be sung for Paul's sports teams, we've celebrated victories in the past. I think there are about 2 months out of the year when there isn't some sports team that Paul is cheering on. Be it the Utes, Angels, Broncos, or Jazz, we stay busy cheering some franchise on all year round. Paul was also a champion of his own feat this past November. We went down to St. George for our annual Mesquite Marathon with his family and Paul dominated the half marathon with having done, let's say, inadequate training. He also participated in the Las Vegas Ragnar a few weeks earlier. A champion indeed.
4. When Daddy Let Me Drive by Alan Jackson: Paul is an incredible dad. Ellie is ecstatic when Paul comes through the door each evening. She loves rough housing with him and getting tossed about all over the place. She loves following him around the house-inspecting every little thing he does. I can already see her in a few years with her tool belt on, 'helping daddy'.
5. The Best Of Times by Styx: I couldn't make a list of songs and not take my chance at getting sappy and sentimental so I'll try and be quick about it. Amidst the craziness and the trials and the pitfalls and speed bumps that we have encountered over the years, we have had many great moments. I believe the small, simple daily pleasures we enjoy as a family make these days the best of times.

Utah men are we...

Anyone who knows Paul knows that he is an avid sports fan, especially when it comes to the Utes. We dated during the off season and were engaged by the time football season came around so little did I know what I was getting myself into:) I quickly learned that Saturdays no longer meant chores, errands, and dates but rather early mornings, tailgating, food, games, and LOTS of football talk. Over the years I have learned how to put honey-do's in during the week, how to make 100 twice baked potatoes, how to loathe twice baked potatoes, how to sit through a blizzard to the very end of a game being up 50, how to brace myself for a shoulder hoist after a touchdown, and how to survive as a single parent during away and bowl games.  Football season is definitely a learning experience that requires patience on behalf of every wife. Despite the chaos each fall brings I can't help but find myself giddy each time that autumn breeze starts to fill the air. I know with the cooler weather also comes plenty of time to catch up with friends that I rarely get to see in the off season, it means reuniting with my fellow ticket holders (I spend more time talking to the sweet couple I sit next to every year than Paul), it means delicious food, it means (most of the time) a break for Paul and I from our rambunctious daughter, it means celebrations and laughs, it means the Utah fight song being stuck in my head for weeks (not sure if that's a good thing), and it means some good ole college football.

We were very excited for our inaugural year of being a part of the PAC 12. I was curious to see how our Utes would perform amongst some of the elite teams of college football. It was certainly a roller coaster of a year with disappointment, a glimmer of hope, and then complete heartbreak. All in all though, we enjoyed this year and are looking forward to the future. 

 In Paul's effort to inculcate our daughter, we decided to take Ellie to a game this year. We decided the first game would probably be our best shot. With the good weather and Eloise's inability to walk, we braced ourselves for a long day at the stadium. We hit up the teepee (yes, that giant teepee is us...stop on by and say hi) for some grub and headed over to the game. 

Ellie spent the first quarter marveling at all of the noises, people, and action going on. First quarter: SUCCESS!

The second and third quarters were spent pulling out any object to keep Ellie in her seat (including lots of snacks). Things seemed a little touch-and-go for a minute but we survived. 

And cha-ching! She past out for the fourth quarter. 

For our own sanity as well as for those around us, we decided not to take Ellie along for any of the other games. However, we enjoyed giving her a glimpse of her future as one of the 'fairest co-eds'...

Happy Birthday Eloise!

My oh my! I cannot believe that my sweet little munchkin is already one! This past year has been full of immense joy, panic, pride, worry, happiness, and every other emotion possible for a human to experience.  I cannot believe how wonderful this little girl has made my life. It is the most incredible feeling being a mom and I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have to raise this remarkable girl who teaches me so much everyday.

Here is Ellie on August 22, 2010.

And here is Ellie on August 22, 2011.

She is still so stinkin cute. Even while sportin a nappy goat.

Ellie had back to back b-day celebrations with our families. We first went to my parent's house where Ellie got to celebrate with her cousin, Kambree, who just turned 2. My sister made an incredible Dora cake. Eloise was very polite with her cake at first, just staring, then poking, and then finally letting loose and playing with it. She didn't want to eat it, just fling it around and create a massive mess.

(It looks like Ellie has an extremely full diaper in this picture. It is really just the tray, not her parents laziness.)

We then rushed over to Paul's folks for round II. Lame mom didn't take any pictures of party deuce but Ellie had a blast opening her presents and playing with cousins (we didn't even mess with giving her cake this time).

Eloise is so blessed to have such wonderful friends and family in her life.

Here are some things I want to remember about Eloise at 1:
-She is very independent. Ellie can entertain herself for large amounts of time (dad has been known to take advantage of this from time to time) and is happy just poking about the house going from toy to toy, well item to item.
-Ellie is incredibly patient. She has been dragged all over the place this past year amidst her parents crazy schedules and is easy going with each and every change.
-She is SPUNKY! Eloise knows what she wants and is not afraid to let you know. Be it screams, lectures, sympathy giggles, laughing fits, dancing,etc. she is always one to put on a show.
-Eloise is analytical. I can already see her little brain constantly thinking. She looks at a situation in which she finds herself, takes in every detail and option, and then proceeds with action. She has been known to get herself into and out of pretty interesting debacles. My dad already says we have one smart cookie on our hands.
-Eloise is very adventurous. Not much scares this little girl. Paul is notoriously dangerous with some of the stunts he pulls with her and she loves every second of it.
-Ellie is petite in size (still off the charts), but not in personality.
-She loves interactive books.
-Favorite foods include: bananas, yogurt, crackers, mac & cheese, and applesauce.

Wheeler Farm

Ellie is still a few pounds shy of her new carseat so in the meantime she is using it as a reading spot.

Here is Ellie on her birthday present from her Grandma and Grandpa Stringfellow. She loves cruisin around on her shopping cart bobbing her head to the music it plays.

This is the summer of fair weather...

Okay, so that title may not totally ring true to the craziness called the weather of 2011 but it comes from an all time favorite of mine, Saturday's Warrior, and I just couldn't resist. This is our debut summer as 'The Three Wiseman' and being such I couldn't resist wrestling Paul into a few fun exposure activities for our little Eloise. Add cousins, friends, and holidays and we have made ourselves a pretty stellar summer thus far. Welcome to the crazy adventures of Paul, Brittany, and Ellie!

Summer started a little early for us as we found ourselves traveling the open roads of Southern Utah to good ole' St. George with our pals Alan and Ashleigh Fagergren over Memorial Day Weekend. Our incredibly sweet friend from Kirkham Real Estate, Carolyn Kirkham, graciously let us stay at the Miles End, a beautiful historic home right by the temple. We have stayed there before and jumped at the chance to return. We had a tremendous weekend full of hiking (Snow Canyon), swimming, and delicious dining. Cue pictures...

She sure does like a good apple.

Three Ponds hike at Snow Canyon. Definitely NOT the most scenic destination.

Don't let her cute smile fool you. While being extraordinary patient as we drug her around St. George, the car ride was another story entirely. She couldn't for the life of her understand why her mom and dad were sitting right next to her and subjecting her to the cruelty of not getting her out of her car seat. 

HOGLE ZOO

For my birthday this year Ellie and I celebrated by going to the Hogle Zoo. My mom and two sisters joined us. Eloise had a great time with her cousins. She was much more interested in her sun hat and sunscreen stick than the animals, but it was fun nonetheless. 

I just really love this girl!

Eloise and her cousins. You can definitely tell which one is mine-poor girl inherited her mother's disappearing eyes when smiling. 

Maybe it was the rocky terrain, maybe it was too close to nap time. Either way, Ellie was not crazy about the train ride. My favorite thing about this picture just might be that lady over my shoulder. Smiling in the background of a strangers photo is right up my alley. 

Great...in fact GRAND birthday! 

WILLARD BAY

Taking a child for her first boat trip sounds like a fun idea. At least that's what we thought when our friends, Steve and Heidi Myers, invited us out to the lake. Our enthusiasm was extinguished the moment we introduced the dreaded lifejacket to our munchkin. The first hour consisted of crying, wailing, sobbing, whining, moaning...you get the picture. I don't know what was worse, the crying or what followed-the most defeated look I have ever seen on a child. Ellie kept a somber disposition for the rest of the afternoon before finally passing out right near the end. Amongst all the drama we were able to have an enjoyable time and get a few good runs in. 

I actually got up!

Paul was an animal-dominating a plethora of water sports including kneeboarding. 

SWIMMING

Ellie loves getting together with her partner in crime, Gavin. Mom also loves adult interaction so heading to the Rec Center with the Glausers has been one of our favorites this summer. Ellie was a little hesitant to get into the water at first but slowly warmed up over time. We had a blast!

I absolutely adore Gavin-can't get enough of that hat and glasses!

FOURTH OF JULY

Every year when July hits patriotic anthems can be heard ringing out the windows of the Wiseman cars. My allegiant husband thoroughly enjoys this splendid holiday and we were excited to get Eloise involved in all of its celebrations. We headed up to the good ole NSL for a BBQ and Eaglewood fireworks with my familia on July 2. I was excited to see how Eloise would react to the fireworks-figuring she would just smile and giggle and ooh and ahh. Nope. She was pretty indifferent to the whole thing. She looked up once in awhile at them, but mostly just looked around or played with whatever odd object was within her grasp.
We then joined Paul's family on the 4th for neighborhood fireworks at his brother's house. This is where I got a good solid reaction from Ellie. Not the cute coo's though, rather we got shrieks and screams. Eloise was not down with the high pitched shrills these fireworks exhibited. Reading back over my posts, it sounds as though this is what Ellie does a lot. She is actually quite a peach and the sweetest, most patient little girl. We had a wonderful Fourth of July this year.

Isn't it great when they are still little enough that they don't get a say in how ridiculous they look. Love it!

JULY/AUGUST HAPPENINGS

The rate I am going with updating this post I will have it officially up in December so I've decided to bundle the rest of our summer into one big picture palooza (is that even a word? Should be). Enjoy:

Love the ballpark atmosphere. Paul loves the games, Ellie and I love to people watch so it's a win-win. Go Bee's.
Ellie was also introduced to seeds...

We headed up Millcreek Canyon for one of our most favorite summer activities-Tin Foil Dinners. Started out a little rocky with Paul getting pulled over going up the canyon (happens a lot with that led foot) and then hitting some rocks causing some damage to the Civ. However, finding ourselves in the good company of Eric, Rachel, & Gavin Glauser and eating scrumptious food we ended up having a jovial time.

Kamas City Bull Wars! Paul and I went two years ago and I fell in love. So much fun! I have been begging him to return and this year after pulling the 'we need to expose our daughter to fun family events' he finally caved. We had a great time playing with Ellie's great-grandma Nancy and even got to see Paul's cousin compete in the bull riding competition.

Ever had those days when time seems to slow down almost to a stop and the day drags on and on as your house gets smaller and smaller? We certainly have around here. It is during these times that I am extremely grateful to live fairly close to Wheeler Farm. Ellie loves looking at all of the animals and mom loves anything entertaining and free so this cute little farm has been a hot spot of the Wiseman's this year.

In his quest to take up EVERY sport Paul has taken up golf in a mega way this summer. Ellie and I like to tag along and try our hand at the range from time to time.

The picture is kind of blurry but here stand Ellie and I at the Aquarium-hands down one of the best purchases I have ever made was getting a pass here! Ellie loves it! Especially the frogs and penguins. Looks like we will be frequent visitors for the next year.

My sweet sister invited Ellie and I out to a day at This Is The Place Heritage Park. We had a blast! Ellie got to ride a horse (loved it-though her face suggests otherwise), pet sheep and pigs (didn't love it), and ride the train (indifferent). She loves spending time with her cousins! What a lucky kid.


Thanks for catching up with the Wisemans! We have had an incredible summer and are looking forward to a busy fall full of tailgating, football games, Halloween, and traveling! Stay tuned...